The Firkin Craft Beer Festival on Saturday was not a beer fest for the casual beer drinker. And judging by the hordes of people lined up like an army around Cathedral Square Park waiting to get in, Milwaukee is home to a lot of serious beer drinkers. There were an estimated 1,500 people in attendance.
So what is a firkin? It’s a small wooden keg or barrel that holds about 10 gallons of suds. Brewers love firkins because it’s their test kitchen. They can try new things in small batches so if it doesn’t turn out well, there is no major loss. In essence, The Firkin Festival was a celebration of experimentation and small-batch brewing. Best of all, there were tons of knowledgeable people eager to talk the ins and outs of beer and brewing.
Rather than me tell you what was so special about the fest, I asked several brewmasters why their beer is so great and what special brews they had on tap for the festival. Here’s what they had to say:
Scott – Vintage Brewing Co., Madison, WI: His best brew of the day was the Gratzer Polish style oak-smoked wheat beer. It’s full flavored, light bodied and very refreshing.
Megan – Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS: Tall Grass is in to the can revolution. All of their beers come in 16 oz. cans.
Brad – Potosi Brewery, Potosi, WI: Potosi (my favorite craft beer) is the only nonprofit brewery in Wisconsin. “We make craft beer for people who love to drink it!” says Brad.
James – 3-Sheeps Brewing Co., Sheboygan, WI: This brewery just started three months ago and has four year-round beers that are very drinkable. They were featuring the Sumatra Baaad Boy brewed with coffee beans from Alterra.
Jacob – Sixpoint Brewing, Brooklyn, NY: Their Apollo brew tastes a bit like bananas. Jacob thinks their beer is the best because it comes in cans and it’s tasty and easy to drink.
Scott – Hinterland Brewery, Green Bay, WI: Scott put two pounds of pureed raspberries with the brewery’s Saison just as it was fermenting and let it soak for one month, resulting in a crisp, refreshing brew.
Jeff – Big Bay Brewing Co., Shorewood, WI: “We make our beers extremely light so you can drink a lot of them,” says Jeff.
Dan – Finch’s Beer Co., Chicago, IL: Dan says, “Our beer is the best because it’s refreshing and hoppy and very well balanced.”
See these brewmasters and their adoring fans in the photos from the event in the slideshow below:
